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Ukraine says guard killed in attack on border post

Associated Press
Published 6:05 a.m. ET July 2, 2014

A pro-Russian fighter sits under a Russian flag as he guards the entrance of a captured Ukrainian National Guard unit in the city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine Saturday, June 28, 2014. Russia's foreign minister on Saturday accused the United States of encouraging Ukraine to challenge Moscow and heavily weighing in on the European Union. Speaking in televised remarks Saturday, Sergey Lavrov said that "our American colleagues still prefer to push the Ukrainian leadership toward a confrontational path." He added that chances for settling the Ukrainian crisis would have been higher if it only depended on Russia and Europe. The poster reads 'Stop! Shoot without warning! (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)(Photo: Dmitry Lovetsky, AP)

MOSCOW – Ukraine’s border guards service says a serviceman was killed and eight were wounded when a post on the border with Russia came under heavy mortar attack.

In a statement, the service says the attack took place before dawn Wednesday at the Novoazovsk post in the southeastern part of the Donetsk region. Donetsk is one of two eastern regions where Ukrainian forces are fighting pro-Russia separatists.

A 10-day unilateral cease-fire by the Ukrainian side expired late Monday after separatists rejected calls to lay down their weapons.

Border posts have become key strategic objects, as Ukraine claims the rebels are receiving support and reinforcements from Russia.

Ukraine says it retook control of one border post from rebels this week. The guards service said Wednesday the insurgents had mined the post with explosives.

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